Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tuesday morning when I went to leave for more teacher training, I had a flat tire. I knew my tires were really old and worn out, but I was hoping to make them last just one more day. Sometimes, the cosmic forces send you a stark clear message..."Don't Push Your Luck." After a frantic phone call, I was picked up by the very pretty school secretary and together we were off to more training in Iraan.

Wednesday's training was in Odessa at the Fun Dome. The keynote speaker this year was Kim Bearden of the Ron Clark Academy. She was a perky little blonde with lots of energy and some great ideas. You may remember the made for TV movie starring Matthew Perry about Ron Clark and his unique approach to teaching.

We broke for lunch and my principal wanted us to all go to Harrigans where we could also meet his mother. His mother, 82, drove herself and was very spry. I was thinking I'd like to be that spunky and capable when I'm 82.

I'd never been to Harrigan's before, and it was a really nice eating facility, sorta upscale. I wandered into the restroom and before leaving washed my hands. There was a lady in there who had just finished washing her hands. There were two decanters on the counter, one was labeled lotion, so I just assumed the other was hand soap. I squirted the liquid, which was very thin and dark green into my hands. As I rubbed my hands together to lather up...there were no suds, then I could smell a minty freshness. Upon further inspection, I realized I had just washed my hands with mouthwash! The lady was still standing there, I guess it's kinda hard to pull yourself away from a trainwreck. As I left the restroom, I pushed through the door and immediately pushed through another door, which had me entering another bathroom. I stood for just a moment, trying to figure out where I was...that's when I spotted the urinals. Ooops! I quickly retreated from the men's restroom and was standing in the hall way trying to recompose myself...and yep, that lady was still there...laughing.

My boss was a bit worried about all the mistakes I made and on the way home he purchased a triple grande soy cappucino extra wet...just for me. I'm sure it was to ensure I'd liven up and not make any driving mistakes, but he told me it was because he liked working with me, mainly because I was weird. I took being weird as a compliment.

2 comments:

Life in small town Texas. Your post and life experience puts me in mind of an old Mac Davis song, Lubbock Texas in the Rear View Mirror. You've probably covered this before, but why did you return to a life that was once in your rear view mirror? Do you see in your children yourself, when you were their age? I went to google maps to see how far Wink is from Iraan and that's quite a little jump. If your momma reads this (I hope for you she does) she's gonna be upset w/ you for driving on unsafe tires. Be careful out in small town Texas and have a good weekend.

Twister, Hmmm...Adamantly, I vowed to never go back, and then proceeded to venture out getting as far away as possible. First Houston, then New Orleans and finally Denver, after having my second child, and foreseeing the housing market to be one of which I couldn't partake of, I came humbly back to Wink. Sure, there were plenty of other little small towns the kids and I could have chosen, but my parents still live here and I thought it'd be nice for the kids to reside near grandparents.

I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Florida, I only moved to Wink my junior year in High School. The school and town I moved from wasn't small, in fact...Long Beach Mississippi made it into Life Magazine back in the 80s for one of the best strips for cruising!

No, my children are very different from me at their age. They are a reflection somewhat of who I am today. I don't see Wink as limiting, sure there's not much here, but basically, living in Wink provides us an affordable lifestyle which then allows for the ability to have many experiences and exposure to other opportunities.

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About Me

Who says over 40 is over the hill? I enjoy listening to great music from all decades and genres, walking hand in hand with the one I love and nurturing the two smartest funnest kids ever! Although I'm not a native of West Texas, I've been here long enough to know the drill. HOT, WINDY and DESOLATE! So, that's why you'll find me and the kids heading out to some of our favorite hangs out...these places would include mild temperatures, mild winds and lush landscapes! I stick around because one day I'm hoping the Permian Basin will be underwater once again, and then I'll have beach front property! :D